“No, it is most unfortunate. He won’t be able to move those large luggages and continue.”
It was day 11 of 15 for this trip to Uganda. It had already been a long day with some travel, working with the new accountant that is helping us to get caught up with many things and regulations, additionally, there were meetings with the graphics design artist and other meetings. We finally wrapped up what we were doing and were seeking to try to drive back to Iganga before dark.
We probably could have returned before the light of the day was completely gone, but as we sped down the main highway flowing with and meeting lots of traffic, we saw him. There with just his wheels pointed towards the highway was a local man, his motorcycle and two HUGE bags of maize. He was on the opposite of the road, facing the direction that we had just come from. At first glance, I thought he had probably parked for some reason and the motorcycle had fallen over. He was in a predicament for sure.
The driver of the vehicle and I started talking about his case. I asked if he thought he was going to be okay? The reply, “No, it is most unfortunate. He won’t be able to move those large luggages and continue.” (Luggages is often a term used instead of cargo, etc.) I asked if we should go back and help. The driver looked hopeful, and said, “Can, we?” I gave a most definite yes. We started looking for a place to turn around. It was a distance before we could. I said if it had been him, I hope someone would stop to help him.
There is a concern when coming up on an “accident” like this one It could be a hoax, trying to get drivers to stop, then you get robbed and even lose your vehicle. As we approached it seemed very legitimate. This guy was in trouble. As we approached he was removing the ropes that held the two huge bags of maize to the motorcycle. We approached and said we were so sorry for his situation. His first words to me, as he looked up yet continued to work were, “Well done.”
We helped him get the motorcycle back to the upright position, and he showed us the loose spoke on his rear tire. It had come loose and gone into the chain of the motorcycle and brought him to a quick halt. It could have been the end of his life. He and my driver worked to get it out of the chain and out of the way. Then he tried to start the motorcycle. It would not start. My driver asked him many questions. He then asked me if we could try to get him to a village that could help him with fixing the motorcycle. I agreed. We decided we would try to load up the motorcycle and the two bags of maize, and drive to the village. We loaded the two bags first. It was almost more than the three of us could do. Later my drive said they probably weighed 200 KG each. (440 lbs. each bag). We barely got them into the middle seat of the van. After moving seats out of the way, we finally got the motorcycle into the back also, which is rather miraculous. We couldn’t get the door closed, but tied it the best we could. In moving the motorcycle to the van, the spoke came loose again! OH WHAT A MIRACLE that motorcycle didn’t start. This many would have wrecked again had we gotten him on his way, and this time in the dark, possibly losing his life completely!
I noticed he was starting to limp more and more. It seems the adrenaline was wearing off, and he was starting to feel the physical pain from injuries. I saw a place on his foot that was damaged and bleeding slightly. The fact that he didn’t more injured is another miracle. Motorcycle, and 880 lbs. of cargo landing on his leg could have really messed him up. As we started to pull back onto the busy highway, my driver said that the man was feeling a lot of pain now, and asked if we could go all the way back to Jinja and deliver the maize to the place he was supposed to take it. I agreed.
We had to pass through a police checkpoint, but they didn’t stop us, for which we are thankful. We had no place for a third person to sit, and the man wanted to ride with his motorcycle to make sure it didn’t fall out the back or the door open.
We made it to the place where the man indicated. He limped off and came back with three young men who unloaded the big bags (with many challenges) and then also the motorcycle. The man again thanked us very much. We turned around and headed back to Iganga.
My driver told me thank you. I told HIM thank you. He said that the man had run out of options and if we had not stopped he would have had to stay the whole night there on the side of the road. It was a distance from either village. He told me that it was a place where many robbers are and it would not have been good. We arrived back in Iganga quite late.
The first words he said to me, rang in my ears: Well done.
That is the things I most want to hear from Jesus when He returns. I want to hear the words as they are written in Matthew 25:21. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou has been faithful over a few things….. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit impressed us to stop and help him. Before we pulled away, I told him that God had impressed us to help him. I hope that he knows just how much God loves him and that he will walk closer and closer with him each day. God really does care about each one of us.
What a privilege it is when we get to be the hands of feet of Jesus.
It was an encouragement to me to here “well done”, and it just makes my heart long for the day when I hear Jesus say this. I know that anything good that comes out of my life is from Him. I am thankful that He used us this night.
